I want to start a discussion about...

... the different programming languages: C++, Java, C#.My problem is the following: I have currently 4 years experience in developing Visual Foxpro applications. But now I want to start with the 'real' work. But the difficulty is: making the right choice of the above mentioned 3 programming languages. I always believed in C++, but that's also the oldest one of the three. At first sight, after having experienced some Jave, I think you should have a lot of hardware to run Java applications smoothly. And C# sharp is just something of Microsoft. Some say that C# has the advantages of C++ and Java. But I don't like the idea that it is something from Microsoft alone. I think there is no certainty if it still will exist in the future.So give me your thougths, tell me what you like most, what the advantages/disadvantages are from each language. Shortly, any comment on this is very appreciated.

Comments

Read-world programming languages are not limited to just those three -- there are lots of them. I recall over the past 25 years that the C and C++ programmers I knew thought cobol and fortran were dying languages and on their last breath. But supprise! supprise! Cobol is still alive and kicking! I havn't heard a thing out of Fortran for several years.

I agree with you about C# -- but it seems to be the wave of the future and should be among your tricks-of-the-trade. Don't put all your eggs in one basket though because very few, if any, commercial programs are written with it. I think it is just too early to tell anything about that language. Give it 10 years and maybe it will become more widely accepted among compiler vendors and programmers, and there might even be an ANCII standard for it.

If I were just starting out today, C++ would be at the top of my priority list of languages to learn. C would not even be in the list because C++ does everything that C can do, plus a lot more. Java would be second on the list only because I am not interested in web programming. If I were, then Java would be #1.

I agree, C++ would also be at the top of my list. Java is a nice language and it takes care of a lot of the troublesome aspects of C++, but I think as a programmer you should be aware of these issues.

If you learn C++, you will fly through java. However I disagree about java just being for web applications. I am learning Java and I am ignoring the web side for the moment. Fully blown applications like OpenOffice and IntelliJ ( java IDE similar to VC++ ) were actually written in Java.

Anyway, as the last post said, I doubt any of these languages will dissapear soon ( is it Fortran or Cobol that is still the most commonly used language today? )

I would reccomend getting a book like Deitel and Deitel's 'C++ How to Program' and doing the exercises. It's very simple, and if you don't understand, just ask here.

Then for Java you can readBruce Eckel's 'Thinking in Java' which will reinforce some C++ concepts as well as quickly teaching you Java in terms that you will know from C++.

: I agree, C++ would also be at the top of my list. Java is a nice language and it takes care of a lot of the troublesome aspects of C++, but I think as a programmer you should be aware of these issues.: : If you learn C++, you will fly through java. However I disagree about java just being for web applications. I am learning Java and I am ignoring the web side for the moment. Fully blown applications like OpenOffice and IntelliJ ( java IDE similar to VC++ ) were actually written in Java.: : Anyway, as the last post said, I doubt any of these languages will dissapear soon ( is it Fortran or Cobol that is still the most commonly used language today? ): : I would reccomend getting a book like Deitel and Deitel's 'C++ How to Program' and doing the exercises. It's very simple, and if you don't understand, just ask here.: : Then for Java you can readBruce Eckel's 'Thinking in Java' which will reinforce some C++ concepts as well as quickly teaching you Java in terms that you will know from C++.: : :